ike the unexpected surprise of
L winning the lottery , Mr .
Wilhite ’ s brush with death also came as a shock . What started as sharp back pain turned out to be a serious aortic dissection , a splitting of the wall of the aorta , the major artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body . Aortic dissection is frequently misdiagnosed and without early intervention is often fatal .
Mr . Wilhite was 53 years old the day he bought the winning ticket in 2002 . He later decided to retire and move to Kingsland , TX , to be close to his son and his family . “ My son had just built me a new house and I spent that memorable Sunday cleaning things up . That evening while sitting down , I felt like someone had driven a knife into my back ,” he says . Mr . Wilhite endured a restless night in excruciating pain . The next morning , he asked his son to take him to the Scott & White Executive Health Program in Temple so he could be examined by his primary care physician , David Havemann , MD , medical director of Executive Health , Section of Preventive Medicine at Scott & White Healthcare ; and associate professor of internal medicine , Texas A & M Health Science Center College of Medicine .
“ They were ready for me . Dr . Havemann ordered a CT scan and right away they figured out what was wrong . I remember him telling my son that I had a lifethreatening emergency ,” says Mr . Wilhite .
Because of Scott & White ’ s coordinated approach , Mr . Wilhite was put in the care of the right specialists immediately . Cardiologist Gene Terry , MD , chief , Section of Intensive Care Cardiology , Scott & White Healthcare ; and professor of medicine , Texas A & M Health Science Center College of Medicine , and surgeon Wade Knight ,
MD , clinic board of directors , Scott & White Healthcare ; and associate professor of surgery , Texas A & M Health Science Center College of Medicine , were brought in to discuss the best course of treatment . They compared Mr . Wilhite ’ s dissection to a leaking soaker hose : blood was leaking from aortic walls . Surgery couldn ’ t wait until the next morning ; it had to happen that afternoon or Mr . Wilhite might die .
“ Aortic dissection not only threatens rupture and possible death due to blood loss but also threatens shearing off important vessels to important structures such as the brain , heart , spinal cord , gut , kidneys and extremities . This results in loss of the organ ,” says Dr . Knight . “ So the purpose of the aortic surgery is not only to prevent bleeding but also to prevent stroke , heart attack , paralysis , bowel infarction , kidney failure and amputation .”
“ I was so relieved that they were going to take care of me right away . I was in so much pain ," says Mr . Wilhite . “ The
What Is Aortic Dissection ?
The American Heart Association describes an aortic dissection as a splitting open of the inner layer of the aorta — the artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body . It is likely to occur where pressure on the artery wall from blood flow is too high . Aortic dissection strikes an estimated 10,000 Americans a year and is usually linked to high blood pressure and genetic disorders . It is often hard to diagnose . Actor John Ritter died in September 2003 from an undetected aortic dissection that doctors believed to be cardiac arrest . pressure from the dissection was pressing on my backbone and my throat . I totally trusted that the surgeons knew what they were doing .”
After his life-threatening event , Mr . Wilhite learned that he had a family history that may have contributed to his condition . “ My grandmother died from an aneurysm in her brain and my father had one in his chest .”
Now , several months after his surgery , Mr . Wilhite is working with his doctors at Scott & White to regulate his blood pressure so he can heal properly and return to all his favorite activities . Careful monitoring is an important part of a successful recovery . “ I can run the tractor again , take care of errands . Slowly but surely I am getting my energy back and am so happy to be alive .”
For more information about the Scott & White Healthcare Executive Health Program , please visit executivehealth . sw . org or call 800-235-6733 . ■
Know your risk factors for aortic dissection . They include :
> Uncontrolled high blood pressure
> Hardening of the arteries > Traumatic injury > Connective tissue disorders > Methamphetamine use
> Family history of cardiovascular disease
Winter 09 THE CATALYST 25